A textile tycoon drove off with a policeman hanging from the window of his sports car after being pulled over for speeding, a court was told yesterday.
Sir Harry Djanogly, 77, was stopped after police saw him speeding at up to 70mph while undertaking vehicles and weaving from lane to lane in west London, it was alleged.
Sir Harry, who is the father of Jonathan Djanogly, a Tory MP and former shadow solicitor-general, allegedly claimed he was taking his wife to hospital for a “medical emergency” because she had chest pains and was struggling to breathe. He then told the police: “I’m not stopping, you can follow me if you like,” before roaring off again, Isleworth crown court was told. Police caught up with his silver Jaguar XK when he was forced to slow down for traffic lights at the Hanger Lane gyratory in Ealing, west London.
Sergeant Robert McDonald told the court he approached the driver’s door and rested his arm on the window. Lady Djanogly showed no signs of breathing difficulties and did not appear to be in distress.
When Sir Harry sped off again the officer believed he was going to be pulled under the car’s wheels. He was dragged 50 yards down the road before his weight on the steering wheel pulled the car to the right and the defendant braked, the court was told. “I felt the car surge forward. It wasn’t a gentle roll, it was an accelerating movement,” Sergeant McDonald said. “I was originally being dragged backwards then pulled into a forwards position, like a water-skiing position. I feared for my life.”
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Asked why Sir Harry, whose fortune is estimated to amount to £300 million, had been handcuffed, he replied: “He was put in cuffs because in my mind he had tried to kill me.”
Sergeant McDonald denied telling Sir Harry that he would be charged with trying to kill an officer, but added: “To suggest I am a little bit disappointed with the offences he was charged with was an understatement.”
Sir Harry has been charged with dangerous driving and assault. He denies the charges, claiming that the officer had been aggressive to him and was shouting. Ambulance staff noted that although Lady Djanogly had a chest and heart condition she was not suffering a medical emergency at the time of the incident.
Sir Harry set up the Djanogly Foundation charity which has donated millions of pounds to the arts and education. He is reported to own the world’s largest collection of work by LS Lowry, as well as paintings by Picasso and Monet.
The trial continues.
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•A former Conservative MP who crashed his car after getting drunk on prosecco has been banned from driving for two years. David Ruffley, 53, who was MP for Bury St Edmunds until last year, was almost three times over the legal limit when he crashed into a car while parking in Westminster on January 27. Westminster magistrates banned Ruffley and ordered him to do 80 hours of unpaid work and pay £145 towards court costs.